Why Is It Called a Pork Pie Hat? Discover the Origin

Have you ever asked yourself where the pork pie hat got its special name? This hat is called a pork pie hat because it looks like the famous Melton Mowbray pork pie, a well-known English pastry.

The pork pie hat started to appear in the 19th century as a classic urban outfit choice. Over time, it became popular with artists, musicians, and people who like to set trends. This hat has both comfort and simple style.

It is not just another hat; it is something with a story. Many people still love it today because there is something about it that never goes out of style.

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The Unique Name: Why “Pork Pie”?

The name “pork pie hat” comes from how much it looks like the Melton Mowbray pork pie, which is a well-known English pastry. Numerous sources confirm this origin. For example, Brixton’s blog states, “Its intriguing name comes from the hat’s resemblance to the Melton Mowbray pork pie, a popular pig-filled pastry from the late 1800s.”

Similarly, REALIZE Magazine notes, “The name Porkpie derives from the shape and crease of the crown which bore a likeness to the Melton Mowbray pork pie, a pastry created in Leicestershire.” The Wikipedia entry for the pork pie hat also corroborates this, stating, “This style of hat features a flat crown that resembles a traditional pork pie, thus earning its name.”

The brim of the hat looks a lot like the crust on this special pie, which is a near-perfect facsimile of the brim of the pork pie hat. Because of that, people started to know the hat for looking just like the food. It’s a fun example of when food and fashion come together.

If you look back at the story of its name, you find something interesting. This started in the 19th century when British hatmakers began to use the name. They came up with the style for English men who wanted something different but useful to wear.

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The Hat’s Resemblance to a Pork Pie Pastry

The pork pie hat gets its name because it looks a lot like the Melton Mowbray pork pie. If you have ever seen this English pastry, you would notice just how close they are in shape. The Melton Mowbray pork pie is traditionally baked free-standing, resulting in a distinctive, slightly bowed or bulging side and a flat top, which can sometimes have a slight indentation in the center due to the cooling process and the presence of jellied stock. This flat, indented crown is the key visual link to the hat.

The shape starts with the brim. It is narrow and has a crease all around it. This is much like the neatly pinched crust on the pork pie. The bottom of the brim sits flat. This makes the hat both easy to wear and nice to see. It even makes you think of a bit of food-inspired art.

The pork pie hat, also known as the English pastry hat, is good because it works in many situations while still being fun. Its rounded, flat-topped crown really shows off how close it is to the look of the English pastry. This smart tie between a hat and a pork pie helped the pork pie hat last for many years as both a fashion item and a slice of culture.

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When and Where the Name Originated

The pork pie hat started in the 19th century. It was made by British hatmakers who wanted to change the hat style. There isn’t a single individual or entity directly ‘behind’ the invention of the pork pie hat; its origin is more organic, evolving from popular hat styles in the mid-19th century. The design, particularly the indented crown, is what led to its descriptive name, rather than a deliberate naming by a creator.

Englishmen liked to wear this pork pie hat because it worked well with both normal outfits and clothes for big events. The hat got its name from the Melton Mowbray pork pie. This showed the unique thinking and skill of the people at that time. It was a big thing in social life and everyone talked about it.

By the end of the 1800s, the pork pie hat was a key part of British fashion. People would see it often at tennis matches and many other big gatherings. Its special look and fun name helped it stand out more. It became a sign of good taste and style for whoever wore it.

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Early History of the Pork Pie Hat

The pork pie hat first emerged in Western fashion in the 1860s, initially as an item of women’s wear. These early versions were often smaller, demure, and adorned with feathers or bows, made of silk, felt, or straw.

They were part of the broader trend of smaller, more manageable hats that became fashionable as hairstyles evolved. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the style was adapted for men, gaining popularity in both casual and formal settings. Its practicality and distinctive look contributed to its growing appeal among men.

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19th-Century British Fashion Influence

The pork pie hat first appeared between 1830 and 1865. During this time, British hatmakers started by making it for women’s formal fashion. They added things like ribbons and feathers to where the brim and crown meet. This touch made the hat look graceful and elegant.

This hat style later used cotton canvas, silk, and straw. It turned out to be a good choice for many different times and events. In the late 19th century, Englishmen also started to wear the pork pie hat. After this, the hat began to get more useful but still kept its charm.

The pork pie stood out because it mixed new ideas with an elegant look. British hatmakers showed they could be creative. They made a style that was both good to use and stylish. This set up the pork pie hat to stay liked by people all over the world for a long time.

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The Pork Pie Hat’s Rise in American Culture

The pork pie hat started to become popular in America when Buster Keaton wore it in silent movies during the 1920s. He made these pork pie hats stronger by using sugar water on their brims because he needed them to hold up during his action scenes.

During the Great Depression, the pork pie hat became big in African American culture. People liked to make the hat stand out by adding feathers and matching colors with zoot suits or other clothes. Musicians, like Lester Young, made the pork pie hat well-known by wearing it often, and it soon became a big part of jazz culture.

The legendary jazz saxophonist Lester Young is widely credited with popularizing the hat within this genre. His influence was so profound that Charles Mingus, a renowned jazz bassist and composer, penned the famous jazz instrumental “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” as an elegy to Young after his death in 1959.

The smooth top and short flat brim of the pork pie hat caught the eye of many Americans. At this time, it became very popular. People liked to wear it with both formal clothes and everyday outfits. This change helped the pork pie stay in style over the years, and now the hat is loved by many people from many walks of life.

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Evolution Through the Decades

The pork pie hat has changed a lot over the years. In the 1920s, Buster Keaton made this hat popular again. He wore his pork pie hat in many of his silent movies, and it became known as his special look.

During and after World War II, jazz musicians like Lester Young started to wear the pork pie hat, too. They tied the pork pie to blues music and creative lives. It became a symbol of people who wanted something different. People saw it as a way to show their own style.

Over time, the pork pie hat showed up in many movies and also in new TV shows. The pork pie is still known as a stylish choice. It fits well for people who want to stand out. Now, let’s look closer at what made these times important for the pork pie hat.

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Buster Keaton and the 1920s Revival

Buster Keaton, who people know as the man with the “great stone face,” helped make the pork pie hat popular in the 1920s. He wanted a strong hat for the daring scenes of his silent movies. To do this, he took good Stetsons and changed them into his own pork pie hats. He used sugar water to make the brims stiff.

Keaton was smart in how he made these hats. He used thousands of pork pie hats while he worked in films. His hats with feathers, along with his funny stunts, helped bring back this hat style in both the US and Britain.

People liked how this hat matched the bold and fun energy he showed on stage. The pork pie hat soon became a big part of a classic urban outfit. For many, it started to stand for flair, being useful, and having your own style.

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Jazz, Blues, and Counterculture Connection

The pork pie hat became part of the jazz and blues music scene during the Great Depression. It was well known because jazz saxophonist Lester Young often wore the pork pie hat during his shows. This simple hat gave his look a new twist and made him stand out on stage.

Charles Mingus wrote a song named “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” as a way to honor Lester Young and his love for the pork pie hat. African American culture took this kind of hat, which had a modest and plain look, and changed it by adding things like feathers, more colors, and outfits that matched.

The fresh and flashy look of the pork pie hat during jazz shows stood out against the usual clothing of that time. This made the hat a symbol of not just the jazz and blues music scene, but also of the “rude boy” culture that embraced going against the expected, too. In later decades, the pork pie hat found a new home within the British ska and mod subcultures. The sharp, clean lines of the pork pie hat complemented the tailored suits and sharp dressing associated with these movements, symbolizing a rebellious yet stylish attitude.

Now, when people think of past blues music and the counterculture from back then, the pork pie hat is often right there in the story.

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The Pork Pie Hat in Modern Times

Today, the pork pie hat plays a big role in fashion and in the world of entertainment. Many people know this hat style because famous people like Walter White in Breaking Bad and Brad Pitt in Mean Streets have worn it. A famous example of this style is how they help bring the pork pie hat to new fans and people of all ages.

This hat is known for giving you a comfortable fit and a look that shows off a cultured personal style. The front of the hat you can be worn with casual or formal outfits. That means the pork pie hat works for many times and places. Its lasting charm is clear from its enduring, elegant touch. Next, we will see how the pork pie hat stood out in movies and why it matters in style.

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Iconic Appearances in Film and TV

Film and TV helped the pork pie hat get noticed again. Robert De Niro wore it in Mean Streets and Gene Hackman had it in French Connection. The hats gave their characters a special look in these movies.

• Buster Keaton: The silent film star Buster Keaton famously wore a pork pie hat, often self-made, which became a signature part of his on-screen persona.
• The Blues Brothers: In the iconic 1980 film The Blues Brothers, Jake Blues (John Belushi) wears a black pork pie hat, contributing to the film’s distinctive visual style and reinforcing the hat’s connection to blues and R&B music.
• Breaking Bad: More recently, the character Walter White, as his alter ego Heisenberg, in the critically acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad, adopts a pork pie hat. This particular portrayal introduced the hat to a new generation, associating it with a darker, more enigmatic persona.

The way the pork pie hat showed up in these shows and movies made people all over the world notice it. It found its place as a stylish choice. People loved seeing it on stars like Lester Young, Walter White, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, and Gene Hackman.

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How the Pork Pie Hat Became a Style Statement

The pork pie hat is known for how versatile it is. You can wear the pork pie hat for a breezy summer look when it is made of straw. You can also wear it with a black suit for a more dressed-up style. The comfortable fit makes this hat a go-to piece for many people.

This pork pie easily goes with different outfits, including your favorite outfits. You can wear the felt version when you want to look sharp, or pick the feathered pork pie to wear with more laid-back clothes. The ways to enjoy this pork pie hat really seem endless.

Today, brands like Brixton keep showing how important the pork pie hat is for culture. They give people options in many colors and materials. The pork pie hat stands out as a stylish sign of personal and cultural expression. As Essence magazine notes, “The pork pie requires a level of commitment—it’s a reference to something.” This suggests that it is a hat for those who are intentional about their fashion choices and appreciate its cultural history.

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Conclusion

The pork pie hat has a long and interesting past that ties together fashion, culture, and a sense of being unique. The hat gets its name because it looks a lot like a well-known pie.

Over the years, the pork pie has become a classic piece that many people still like to wear. It started in Britain in the 1800s and later became famous in jazz, movies, and on many heads in America. The pork pie hat is stylish and works for anyone.

You could be someone who loves old movies, or maybe you follow the latest trends. Either way, the pork pie hat adds a special touch and stands out with any clothes. Want to learn how to add the pork pie to what you wear? You can find more tips and information in our other resources!

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Frequently Asked Questions